Electric switch



July 7, L9 3]. HAYNES 1,813,801

:- ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed March 30, 1928 j i INVENTOR 1 \ji jj ii /101085.

ATTORNEY Patented July 7, 1931 PATENT OFFICE RICHARD H. HAYNES, OFSEALY, TEXAS ELECTRIC SWITCH Application lied March 30, 1328. Serial No.266,006.

This invention appertains to improvements in electric switchesgenerally, and more particularly to automatically operated types of suchswitches.

An object of the invention is to provide a switch of the class setforth, wherein the make and break between the fixed and movable contactsof the same will be effected quickly, so that arcing of the current atthe contacts will be avoided, with the result that the usual burning, orother injurious effects on the contacts will be prevented and the lifeof the switch thereby prolonged.

Another object of the invention is to provide a switching device ashereinbefore characterized, which, in a special or particular adaptationof the same, will be employed for controlling the operation of anelectrically driven pump of a water supzo ply system or the like, andwherein the operation of the switch for accomplishing the starting andstopping of the pump will be automatically controlled by the falling andrising movements of a float operating in a body of fluid at the low andhigh levels thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide for a switchingmechanism of the character mentioned, which will, in its automaticoperation as aforesaid, be unaffected by the intermediate moments ofmove ment of a float in its falling and rising travel in a body ofconfined liquid or water, and between points of minimum low and maximumhigh levels of the liquid or water, in the discharge of the liquid orwater from or into the confining body or tank in which the float ismounted.

With the foregoing and other equally important objects and advantages inview, the invention resides in the certain new and useful combination,construction and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed, set forth in the appended claim, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a water tank or the like, andshowing a practical embodiment of the switching mechanism in itsoperative relation in respect thereto,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the switchmechanism per se, and

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional detail of one of the tensioningdevices for effectin the quick make and break movements of the movablecontact member of the switch a the limits of the falling and risingmovements of the float.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like characters of referencedesignate corresponding parts throughout the several views thereof, theembodiment of the invention, as shown therein by way of example,comprises a bracket or support 10, which is preferably in the form of anelongated strip of metal or the like, having one end, as for instanceits lower end, angularly bent to pro vide an offset portion 11 on theinner or upper side of which the switch proper is to be supported.

The switch, in the present instance, comprises an outer member or post12, and an inner member or contact 13, which is preferably shor er thanthe member or post 12. These members 12 and 13 are preferably spacedapart on the longitudinal center of the upper side of the angled portionll, of the bracket or support" 10, and one end of a movable member orblade 14 pivoted, at 15, to the upper end of the longer member or post12, and is to be swung on the pivot 15 to and from contacting engagement with the member or contact is. Tl ese members 12 and 123 willpreferably be of usual bifurcated construction to receive the n'ioa'ablemember or plate 14 etween the same, substantially as shown. Thesemembers or contacts 12 and 18 are, of course, insulated from the bracketor support 11 and from each other.

The inner or free end of the movable member or blade Jr is pivoted, as153, to one or the lower end of a short section of rod or tube 17, theengaged end of the latter being preferably bifurcated, as at 18, toreceive the blade end within the same. The member 17 is provided with alongitudinal bore opening through its upper end J. it b inc to havethreaded into the same one or the lower end of an adjusting member orscrew 19. This member or screw 19 is passed downwardly through anaperture formed in an angular portion 20, bent from the low er end of anintermediate member or bar 21, which is mounted for sliding movements inguide members or the like 22 spaced apart on the longitudinal center ofthe major portion of the bracket or support 10, and into the bore of therod or tube 17. A lock nut 23 is provided on the adjustable memher orscrew 19 immediately below the angled portion 20 to sustain the same inany position of adjustment.

The upper end-of the intermediate member or bar 21, above the uppermostof the guides 22, is angularly bent to provide an opposite portion 24,corresponding to the lower angularly offset portion 20, which isapertured to have the upper threaded end of a second adjusting member 25passed upwardly through the same, and into threaded engagement with thelongitudinal bore in an upper member or rod 26. A lock nut 27 is used onthe threaded upper end portion of this member or screw 25, andcooperates with the lower end of the member or rod 26 in the same manneras the other of these devices 23. The extreme upper end of the member orrod 26 is apertured to support a pivot member or pin 28, the purpose ofwhich will be hereinafter more fully explained.

Pivoted, as at 29, to the intermediate member or bar 21, and preferablycentrally thereof is atoggle device, which consists of a pair ofoppositely directed or laterally arranged members or rods 30, the outerends of each being bifurcated, as at 31, for engagement with members orpins 32 project ing from the front faces of laterally extended portions10 of the major portion of the bracket or support 10. These extendedportions 10 are preferably disposed in line one with the otherat theopposite side edges of the major portion 10, and at the transversecenter thereof. 3

v Mounted on each of the toggle members or rods are resilient members33, preferably in the form of coiled springs, which have their inwardlydirected ends bearing against an annular member or flange 34 fixed tothe members or rods adjacent the commonly pivoted ends thereof, andtheir outer ends bearing against annular members or washers 35 looselypositioned on the bifurcated ends of the members or rods 30.

These annular members or washers are tensioned by the springs 33 againstthe pins 32 when the bifurcated ends of the members or rods 30 areengaged with the latter, which tensioning effect of the springs 33against these members or washers 35 also acts to maintain the bifurcatedends of the members or rods 30 in their engaged relation with themembers or pins 32, as will be obvious.

In the general use of the device as thus constructed and arranged, theswitch blade 14 will be tensioned to circuit closing engagement with thecircuit contact member 13 by the action of the. coiled springs 33, whenthe adjustable member or bar 21 is pushed toward the angled end portion11, of the bracket or member 10, on which the switch is mounted. Thisposition of the parts lessens the tensioning effect of the coiledsprings 33, as will also be the case, when the member or rod 21 ispulled to the opposite limit of its movement to with draw the switchblade 14 from engagement with the contact member 13. As the adj ustablemember or rod 21 is moved in either direction to open or close theswitch blade 14, the movement of the toggle pivot 29 therewith reversesthe angular relation of the toggle arms or rods 30 from one side or theother of the transverse center of the major portion of the bracket orsupport 10, and as the pivot 29 passes the dead center position, thetoggle arms or rods 30 are shortened by reason of the'bifurcated ends ofthe same moving outwardly of the fixed members or pins 32. As the armsor rod 30 shorten, the annular members or washers35 at the outer endsthereof are forced inwardly andv place the coiled springs undercompression, which compression is greatest when the toggle members orrod 30 move to alined relation in the plane of the trans verse center ofthe bracket or support 10. As the pivot 29 passed from one side to theother of the dead-center position of alinement of the members or rods30, the

coiled springs 33 immediately expand, and thereby quickly complete theproper directional movement of the member or bar 21,

and causes the switch plate 14 to be snapped 7 into or out ofengagement, as the case may be, with the contact member 13.

' In the particular adaptation of the switching mechanism for use inopening and clos ing the power circuit of an electrically op-. eratedpump forsupplying water or other fluid to a tank a, the pivot 28 carriedby the upper of the adjustable rods or tubes 26, will connect one end ofa lever 36, which is pivoted, as at 36, at a point intermediate itsends, and will have its other end, in turn pivoted, as at 37 to thelower end of a rod or link 35.. This rod or link 38 is extendedvertically at one side of the tank a, and has its upper end pivoted, asat 39, to the outer as at 41, to a bracket or the like projecting abovethe upper edge-of the adjacent side of the tank a. The inner endof thisfloat arm or lever 40 will be pivoted, as at 43,

to a suitable float device 44, which will be supported on the surface ofthe fluid or,

water within the tank at any level of the latter thereon. The lever 36will preferably have a series of longitudinally spaced apertures 45,whereby the fulcrum or pivot 36 may be shifted from one aperture toanother, as desired or necessary to change the ratio of pivotal movementof the lever 36, and consequently the length of vertical movement of theswitch operating parts on the bracket or support 10, correspondinglywith a given movement of the float lever 40.

In this instance of the invention, and with the tank a empty, the switchblade will have been closed on the contact 13 to start up the pump (notshown) for the filling of the tank. When the liquid in the tank hasreached a predetermined point, the float 44 will have risen with thelevel of the liquid, and swung the inner end of the float arm or lever40 upwardly on its pivot 41, while the outer end of the float arm orlever will have swung in a downward direction, and thereby forces thelink or rod 38 also in a downward direction. This downward movement ofthe link 38 acts to depress the pivoted end 37, of the lever 36, and toelevate the pivoted end 28 thereof, which movement will effect an upwardpull on the member or rod 26, and through it and the member or bolt 25,depending therefrom, to the intermediate member or bar 21, and until thetoggle arms or rods 30 have passed their central position. During thisentire initial movement, the lower adjustable member or screw 19, andthe rod or tube section 17 connected thereto has not been effected ormoved, and consequently the closed position of the switch plate 14 hasnot been disturbed. As soon, however, as the toggles have passed throughcenter in their outward direction of movement, the coiled springs 33will suddenly expand and immediately act to force the intermediatemember or bar 21 rapidly to its upper limit of movement. Simultaneouslywith this sudden expansion of the coiled springs 33, the lower angledend 20 of the intermediate member or bar 21 will have engaged the upperheaded end of the member or screw 19 and exert an upward pull thereon,and through it to the rod or tube 17, with the result that the switchblade is swung sharply in an upward direction and free of engagement ofthe switch contact 13, when the power will be cut off from the pump.When the liquid in the tank a has reached a predetermined low levelmark, the above described operation of the mechanism is reversed, andthe float arm or lever 40 will have been swung 011 its pivot 41 to exertan upward pull on the link 38 and the lever 36, so that the latter areswung in a direction to force the rod or tube member 26,

' pivoted thereto, as at 28, and the adjusting member or screw 25depending from the lower end thereof, in a downward direction. Nomovement will be imparted to the intermediate member or bar 21 untilafter the lock nut 27 has been lowered into contact with the upper faceof the angled portion 24 of the member or rod 21, when this lattermember or rod will be forced in a downward direction, and will carrywith it the attached ends of the toggle arms or rods 30. As soon as thetoggle arms or rods 30 pass their dead center position of alinement inthe downward direction of the intermediate member or bar 21, the coiledsprings 33 will be free to expand, and will quickly complete thedownward movement of the intermediate member or rod 21 and theadjustable rod or tube member 17, by reason of the lower angled end 20of the intermediate member or rod 21 contacting the lock nut 23 at theupper end of the rod or tube member 17 when these parts will also bemoved in a downward direction, and move the switch blade 14 with thesame and into engagement with the contact 13, when the pump will beagain placed in operation.

\Vithout further description, it is thought that the features andadvantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled inthe art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form,proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to, withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or its scope as claimed.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed is:

A snap mechanism comprising a base, spaced guides mounted on said base,an elongated member mounted for endwise movement in said guides,laterally extending rods disposed at opposite sides of said elongatedmember and having adjacent ends thereof apertured and overlapped, asingle pivot engaged in the said apertures and connecting the overlappedends of said rods to said elongated member, said pivot being carried bysaid elongated member at a point thereon substantially midway betweensaid guides, pins rising from said base at opposite sides of saidelongated member, bifurcations formed in the outer ends of said rods andengaged with said pins, and coiled springs carried on said rods betweensaid pivot and said pins.

RICHARD H. HAYNES.

